“There may be other places to consider but they would be the two most likely.”

BIC commented: “Having hosted winter testing in previous years, we have always welcomed the idea of bringing pre-season testing back to Bahrain. The decision as to the venue is a matter for the commercial rights holder and the teams to agree.”

According to autosport.com, the dates originally earmarked for the Bahrain tests were February 18 to 21 and, after a four-day break, February 26 to March 1, with the season-opening Australian Grand Prix set to take place a fortnight later.